It should be only a matter of time now before the Los Angeles Clippers announce their new coach. And no matter how many twists and turns have been involved in this saga, that coach should soon be Doc Rivers.

We're well past the one-week mark since the talks between the Clippers and Boston Celtics began in earnest, with the original discussions centering on Rivers and Kevin Garnett heading to Los Angeles for DeAndre Jordan, draft picks and — if the Celtics had gotten their way — guard Eric Bledsoe.

In the meantime, there have been two stoppages of talks altogether, multiple declarations on the death of the deal, almost as many assertions that something was close and, of course, interference from the league, which gently reminded the Celtics and Clippers that coaches could not be traded for players.

Now, though, the Rivers aspect of the deal has come to a head. After rejecting an offer that would have allowed Rivers to coach the Clippers for second-round picks, the Celtics and Clippers agreed to a deal that will send an unprotected first-round pick in the 2015 draft to Boston. The pick would be compensation for releasing Rivers from the final three years of his Celtics contract.

Some evidence as to the impending departure of Rivers—who probably won’t be back with the Celtics even if the Clippers situation falls apart again—came over the weekend, as one of Rivers’ top assistants, Mike Longabardi, was hired away from the Celtics to join the Suns staff.

As for Rivers-to-the-Clippers, all that remains to be seen is whether the NBA would move to block such a deal. While coaches can't be included in player swaps, picks can be given up to compensate teams allowing coaches to break their contracts.

What will be more interesting to watch from there is whether the Celtics and Clippers are able to resuscitate the player part of the deal, which would center on a swap of Jordan and Garnett. Commissioner David Stern has made it clear that, because of the public nature of the negotiations, he would veto any deal that had the appearance of being influenced by the Rivers hiring. At this point, it is almost impossible to complete the Rivers deal without raising league suspicions on a Garnett-Jordan deal.

The league’s immediate concern would be that the Clippers are giving up a talented 24-year-old center for Garnett, a 37-year-old. But whether the league can justify blocking a swap of the two is a concern in itself—despite the age gap, Jordan is a career underachiever, while Garnett averaged 14.8 points and 7.8 rebounds last year, earning an All-Star spot.

The Celtics, meanwhile, are also looking at deals involving Paul Pierce, who could join Rivers and Garnett in LA should Boston buy out the final year of his contract before June 30, at $5 million. The Celtics have had, according to one source, “three or four legitimate offers,” that would allow them to trade Pierce without taking back a player, which would leave the Celtics with a trade exception that they could use elsewhere—in a sign-and-trade for Atlanta’s Josh Smith, for example.

Thus, as the Rivers situation gets closer to a resolution, it could take a while to sort out what happens with Pierce and Garnett. In other words, this will be only the beginning of a dramatic summer for the Celtics.